Help readers recognize the real you.
Connect your website and social profile with a consistent identity and a reciprocal link.
Before you begin
- Control of your website and Mastodon profile.
- A public HTTPS website URL.
- A consistent name and short description for your publication.
- 01
Make the identity consistent
Use a recognizable publication name, avatar, and description. Say what you publish and who operates the account. A reader should not have to infer whether it is personal, organizational, or automated.
- 02
Link your website from your profile
In Mastodon, add your HTTPS website URL to a profile metadata field. Use the real destination rather than a URL shortener.
- 03
Link back with rel="me"
Add a link on that website pointing to your exact Mastodon profile, with rel="me" in the HTML. The Follow link builder can create this link; use it only for a profile you control.
- 04
Check the result without overstating it
Review the website field in your Mastodon profile. If verification does not appear, check the destination URL and whether the link is present in the page HTML. This is a link-ownership signal, not identity certification.
What success looks like
Your website and profile point to each other, and readers can follow a clear trail between them.
Turn the guide into progress.
Keep track of the steps you’ve verified, or troubleshoot the part that isn’t working yet.
Open your checklistSources & further reading
Mastodon: profile metadata and link verificationReviewed September 22, 2026. These are practical suggestions, not a verification of your installation.